Harry Potter and the Chest of the Magi
by crazyme03
Summary: Harry, with the help of Sirius, Remus, and his friends, uncover the mystery surrounding the Chest of the Magi. What is this chest? What secrets does it hold?
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Harry, with the help of Sirius, Remus, and his friends, uncover the mystery surrounding the Chest of the Magi. What exactly is this chest? What secrets does it hold? As if life wasn't complicated enough, follow Harry as he learns how to navigate through relationships, new and old, and experiences what it truly means to have a family.

Warnings: There is likely to be some time travel. Possible foul language and adult situations (nothing graphic).

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling. Sadly, I am not her. Some wishes will never come true.

AN: I have the basic idea of where I plan on taking the story, but it's just a matter of pulling it all together. I'll try to aim for at least one or two chapters a week.

I'm still trying to figure out how to format the story once I go to upload it. If you have any advice, I would greatly appreciate it.

Harry Potter and the Chest of the Magi

Privet Drive was a quiet sort of neighborhood. Normal houses lined the normal streets where normal families slept in their normal beds. Normalcy was valued highly in Privet Drive, and no family sought normalcy more than the residents of Number 4. The Dursley family worked extra hard to fit in with everyone else in the neighborhood. Although, they wouldn't need to work as hard at it, had it not been for Mrs. Dursley's nephew, Harry Potter.

You see, said nephew, was a wizard, a real potion making, broom riding, wand holding wizard. Being a wizard was as far from normal as one could get…or so the Dursley's thought. For ten years, the Dursley family put as much effort into keeping Harry as down trodden as possible as they put into maintaining a façade of normalcy for their friends and neighbors. They wouldn't survive the scandal that would ensue should their secret get out.

You'd think that being a wizard was what made Harry unique and special. Unfortunately, for Harry, this was not the case. Harry was unique even in the wizarding world; most witches and wizards would tell you that Harry Potter is one of the most famous wizards in the magical community.

What was he famous for, you may ask? Well, when young Harry was only fifteen months old, his parents had been murdered by a dark wizard, known in the magical world as Lord Voldemort. After casting the death curse on Harry's parents, Voldemort turned to baby Harry, who sat in his crib clutching on to a small stuffed dog.

Emerald eyes met the dark ones and an intense flash of green light encompassed the room as Voldemort shot the killing curse at Harry. However, Harry didn't die. Instead, the curse rebounded upon the dark lord, expelling his soul from his body, leaving him as nothing more than a phantom. Harry had been the first, and only, person to survive the killing curse. Though the curse struck him, he survived and was left with little more than a scar on his forehead. All around the wizarding world, witches and wizards raised their glasses to Harry Potter, the boy who lived.

* * *

><p>Fourteen years had passed since that fateful Halloween night. Harry, who was nearly fifteen, had grown a lot since then. His raven hair was just as wild and untamed as ever, and his emerald green eyes held the look of sorrow and a bitter understanding of the world around him.<p>

The past fourteen years had not been easy on the boy who lived. His relatives spent the majority of that time abusing him. It wasn't physical abuse, but emotional and verbal, which was just as damaging. There is only so much a person can take of being called a "Freak" or "worthless" before they start to believe it to be truth.

Despite his childhood, Harry came alive at school. He made friends, and rivals, and sacrificed greatly for the well-being of the students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the wizarding world as a whole.

Four times, Harry fought against Voldemort. Saving the school from the eventual tyranny that would have come, had he come to power. The most recent struggle took place a mere month before the beginning of this story.

Harry, after having been kidnapped from an inter-school competition, found himself facing a newly resurrected Voldemort. It was a close struggle between Voldemort and Harry. Harry nearly lost his life in the encounter. Sadly, his fellow competitor and Hogwarts champion, Cedric Diggory, did not fare as well. Death truly came alive to Harry that terrible night. The guilt that he felt over Cedric's death overwhelmed him.

He was often told that it wasn't his fault. That he didn't know what was going to happen, and that nobody truly blamed him. Still, Harry wallowed in his guilt…which leads us to the true beginning of our story.

* * *

><p>Currently, Harry could be found lounging upon his cot in the smallest bedroom of number 4. It was nearing two in the morning, but Harry was finding it to be near impossible to sleep. Whenever he closed his eyes he would picture the scene at the graveyard. He would relive the moments that lead up to the death of Cedric and the return of a much feared dark lord.<p>

Body drenched in sweat, Harry rubbed his face tiredly and padded across the room, listening at the door for the sounds of his slumbering aunt and uncle. Releasing a sigh, Harry grabbed his trainers and made for the staircase.

Quietly tip-toeing down the stairs, Harry prayed to Merlin that his relatives didn't wake. Reaching the last step, Harry let out a sigh of relief, and made for the front door. Gently, turning the lock, he opened the door, trying to quiet the protesting door hinges, and stepped outside.

The summer air was refreshing against his clammy skin. The night was cool and crisp, and he hoped that it would help clear his head. Following the street down to the nearby park, Harry tried to make sense of everything that had happened. Try as he might, he couldn't come to terms with the unfortunate death of Cedric. He kept thinking of ways he could have saved the young man, but none of those ideas did him any good now.

Scuffing his shoe against the gravel, Harry made his way over to the swing set. Plopping himself down, he just closed his eyes, trying to forget all that was around him. The quiet was nice; he didn't have to hear the screeching of his Aunt Petunia, nor the shouts of his Uncle Vernon. He could just forget about everything, even if it was only for a few minutes.

Harry sat there for the next few moments in complete silence. The only noise being the creaking of the chains on the swing set as he gently pushed himself forward. Just as he was about to rise from the swing, he heard the sound of a twig snapping behind him.

Spinning around, Harry made a grab for his wand, only to find that he had forgotten it underneath the floorboard in his room. Despite his rather vulnerable position, he inched forward in an attempt to see what had made the noise.

Taking a deep breath, he went in the direction of the sound. The grass crinkled under his feet as he quietly made his way forward, squinting in an attempt to see, he noticed a stick laying on the ground, just a few steps ahead of him.

The closer he got, it became clearer, what it was. It wasn't just a stick, but it was a wand. He reached a shaky hand forward to grab hold of the mysterious wand. The handle still felt warm, as though it had been recently held. The tip of the wand was cracked, and you could see the dragon heartstring poking out. Giving it a small wave, Harry tried to produce light. The wand flickered a bit than completely dimmed. It was clear that the wand had seen better days.

Just as he was about to turn around and head back home, he felt a hand reach out and grab his shoulder. He was spun around, only to come face to face with someone he didn't expect to see. "You know," the man said "you might want to be a bit more careful about trying to use magic; it is the summer after all".


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Leaving at an Accelerated Pace

Harry took one look at the man and lunged into his waiting arms. "Sirius!" he exclaimed "What are you doing here? You need to hide! What if someone sees you?"

Giving a small laugh Sirius hugged his godson close "Calm down kiddo, a lot has happened that you don't know about."

Harry took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Gnawing at his bottom lip, he tried to gather his thoughts and figure out what he wanted to ask.

"Sirius" Harry whispered "what are you doing here?"

Sirius gave a small sigh as Harry waited, somewhat impatiently, for the older man to answer. "There's a plan to pick you up and take you away for the rest of the summer. I'm just one of a few people out here trying to secure the area before we leave, but we'll discuss the rest later."

Harry refrained from stomping his foot in frustration. He needed answers, and he needed them now! Still, Harry took one look at the man and knew that he wouldn't get anything more out of him; so, he just nodded his head and let out a small sigh.

Sirius took a step back and held his godson at arm's length, checking to make sure that he was alright. "So," Sirius questioned "want to explain what you're doing out here at two in the morning? I may not know a lot about teenagers, but I'm sure most kids are supposed to be in bed and asleep at this time of night."

Running his hands through his messy raven hair Harry leaned against a nearby light post. He didn't know how to answer him. He definitely didn't want to admit to having trouble because of nightmares.

He didn't want Sirius to see him as weak. He was nearly fifteen years old after all, not six. He was too old to be disturbed by a nightmare. Normally, he wouldn't care so much, but this was Sirius. He looked up to Sirius; he was his father figure after all.

Harry's only response was to give a half-hearted shrug. Sirius resisted rolling his eyes in response. Honestly, he didn't have the experience necessary to handle moody and angst ridden teenagers. "Okay, let's try that again. I'll ask you what you're doing out here at two in the morning and then you give me an appropriate response…So Harry, what are you doing out here at two in the morning?"

Harry let out an irritated huff as he gave another shrug. "I don't know…I just fancied a walk. You know, getting fresh air and all of that."

Sirius bit back a slightly frustrated retort. Instead, he focused on the wand in Harry's hand, "You broke your wand? How'd you manage that? Give it here and I'll see what can be done to mend it."

Shaking his head Harry explained "It's not my wand. I just found it laying there. I thought it was yours." Handing the wand over to Sirius, Harry continued to explain "I think it's been used recently, the handle was still warm when I picked it up."

A slight look of worry briefly flashed in the older man's eyes, setting Harry on edge.

This wand meant that there was another magical being in the vicinity of Harry's home. Not knowing if this unnamed witch or wizard was on the side of the light, Sirius quickly grabbed onto Harry's arm and started to pull him down the street back to the Dursleys.

Glancing around, he continued to drag a bewildered Harry. "I'm going to have to take you earlier than I had planned kiddo. The wards might not last much longer."

"Wait...what, what about the wards? Sirius what are you going on about?"

Shaking his head Sirius cast a quick unlocking charm on the Dursley's front door. "Not now Harry." Walking to the staircase he ushered Harry up to his room; telling him to pack up all of his things as they were leaving in ten minutes.

Slightly dazed Harry stood in his bedroom, mouth slightly agape, and more than a little confused over what was going on. "Harry" Sirius urged "pack your things, quickly now."

Shaking his head Harry started to gather all of his belongings. He hadn't been back at Privet Drive very long, only a little over a week, and yet all of his belongings were carelessly strewn about his small bedroom. Making it look like he owned more than what he really did.

Tossing a final pair of socks into his trunk, that were of questionable cleanliness, he closed the lid, and started to drag it over to Sirius.

"Sirius" Harry questioned "why are we running?"

Sirius gave a small laugh as he shrunk Harry's battered trunk, and started to head downstairs. "We're not running. Well…not exactly. I prefer to think of it as leaving at an accelerated pace."

He was a Gryffindor after all, they didn't run from anything. Really, all they were doing was postponing a confrontation. It wasn't an act of cowardice, but a tactic used to create a bigger chance of survival.

Harry let out a soft snort of amusement as he continued to follow the older man out of the house and down the street.

The lights glowed dimly in the night, providing little illumination down the street. The gentle wind blew, caressing them as they walked though. The moon, hidden behind the clouds, cast shadows on the two as they hurried down the street.

"It's just a little further Harry. Just past the park, the anti-apparation wards end. I'll be apparating the both of us to our next stop."

"Where's that at?" Harry questioned.

Sirius gave a quick shake of his head. "Not here Harry. You never know who could be listening in. I promise I'll explain everything after we've settled in at our new destination."

The duo quickly walked through the park and over to a dimly lit, deserted parking lot.

Gray eyes narrowed in observation, trying to determine if there was a nearby threat. _ Of course there's a threat_, he thought. _They were trying to avoid a confrontation with an unknown magical individual after all._

Glancing around he noted that the parking lot appeared empty, and that now was as good a time as any to make their escape…or rather, their transfer to a new location.

"Grab hold of my arm Harry, and don't let go." Sirius gave a small grimace "It's a slightly uncomfortable feeling. So, try not to sick up once we stop. I don't particularly want to clean up a mess. I got enough of that when you were a baby. I don't really want a flashback."

Harry looked indignant at Sirius' comment, but had little time to retort before they left.

Harry felt like he was being sucked through a tube. Everything around him appeared to be a blur. He was never so glad that he didn't eat anything for dinner. He was sure he would have lost it during the trip. Suddenly, he stumbled upon a hard surface, nearly face-planting himself into the gravel.

"That" Harry gasped "is not my favorite way to travel." Still trying to stabilize himself he complained "Why can't wizards use cars?"

The older man gave a slight laugh at his godson. He didn't remember ever seeing Harry in that particular shade of green. _It sure brings out his eyes_ he snickered.

Giving a glare at Sirius' laugh, Harry righted himself and looked around.

In front of them was a two story cottage. It looked like it came out of a story book. No, not a house made out of candy, but a cozy cottage overlooking a serene lake.

Taking in his surroundings Harry gave a small sideways glance to his godfather. "Sirius" Harry asked "Where exactly are we?"

Sirius started to walk forward. Opening the front gate, which squeaked with age, he gave a backwards glance towards his godson. "This Harry, is where it all started." 


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I know the story is going kind of slowly, but it should pick up within the next couple of chapters.

I hope to have the fourth chapter out by the end of Sunday evening.

Harry Potter and the Chest of the Magi

Chapter 3 A Very Manly Embrace

Watching Harry's face as he tried to puzzle it out was amusing. He gnawed on his bottom lip, trying to figure out what Sirius meant. For a second, it looked as though he had a sudden moment of understanding, but that passed quickly and was soon exchanged for a look of confusion.

Unable to actually piece together what Sirius was talking about, and with no Hermione there to help him, he decided to ask. "Sirius" he questioned, "I er…What I mean is, well, um, what are you talking about? Where _what_ began?"

Sirius blinked in surprise. He thought he had given a good hint. Sure he didn't explicitly say where they were, but he thought it should have been obvious. He had tried to be dramatic and everything…but to no avail. Harry didn't understand the clue. He couldn't help but feel slightly put out about the whole situation.

Sirius truly loved Harry as though he was his own son, but it was moments like these where it was clear that he was definitely James' son. Sure, Lily would have understood immediately, but James, on the other hand, would have needed to have it spelled out for him.

"Well" he paused "this is where you began."

He watched Harry for his reaction. His reaction would either be very good or very bad. He, himself, had very mixed feelings about the whole idea. This was the place of one of his most painful memories, and at the same time it was a place where he had made so many good memories.

Unexpectedly, a blush started to rise on Harry's face. _Why on Earth is he blushing? _

"Sirius" Harry stammered "I don't think I need to know any more, really." At the end of this statement his face had gone a deep red, and he looked at everything, and everywhere, but his godfather. There was no way he could look his godfather in the eye, not when he brought up a subject like that.

The older man donned a bewildered look, unsure as to what was happening. Sirius took a moment to ponder what he said. He had only expressed the truth…this is where Harry began. After a moment of quiet reflection it dawned on him what Harry was thinking.

"I'm not talking about that, you nutter" Sirius responded.

He couldn't help but give a chuckle at his godson's relieved face. "Although" he continued "I suppose that might be true also. James and Lily did like to have 'quality time'. Who knows what they were up to."

Harry's face which had started to go back to a normal color, flushed deeply once again. Sirius who was watching Harry, couldn't help but smirk at his godson's embarrassment. _Who knew that this conversation would be this fun? Although, he thought, it might be a good idea to have that talk about the seeker and the snitch. _Harry was about the right age, and since James wasn't here to give that talk, Sirius would have to fill in.

Deciding to end his godson's embarrassment, Sirius decided to clarify his statement. His face became solemn as he explained where they were. "This Harry, is Godric's Hollow." He took a deep shuddering breath before he continued "This is where you lived when you were a baby."

Harry wasn't sure what to make of that. On the one hand, it was a place that he and his parents had been a family. On the other hand, it was the place of his parent's demise.

While Harry was contemplating what he was thinking and feeling, Sirius observed him closely. He didn't appear traumatized; not that Harry would even tell him if he was. So he remained hopeful that everything would work out.

Different thoughts were running through Harry's mind. Would he be able to live here? Was it good idea to live here?

Out of all of the questions that Harry had, he had to ask "Where's the loo?"

Sirius stared blankly at him for a moment. _Was his first question really 'where's the loo?'"_ Sirius couldn't help it; he just stared at his godson like he had just grown a second head. Out of all the questions that Sirius expected that was not one of them. A bit dazedly he told Harry "Through the front door and down the hall, it's the second door on the left".

Harry gave a quick nod before he opened the front door. Turning the bronze handle he took his first step inside.

The entryway was dimly lit from the moonlight streaming in through the open windows. A cool breeze made its way through the first floor.

Portraits adorned the hallway walls, and whispered to one another as he passed by. This didn't bother him too much; mostly because he doubted they were pointing and whispering because he was the boy who lived.

He noticed that there were several portraits that displayed men with untidy black hair. It was comforting to Harry, to know that he wasn't alone. He had a place where he could fit in. That was something that no other place could offer the bespectacled boy.

At first he thought of Hogwarts, but he didn't really fit in at the enormous castle. True, he was magical, as were the majority of the castle residents, but he always stood out at school. He wasn't Harry Potter, a student. No, he was always Harry Potter the boy-who-lived.

Then there was the Dursleys. The fact that he was magical automatically meant that he wouldn't fit in with the ordinary muggle family, something that he was eternally grateful for.

Turning the handle to the loo, Harry stepped into a pristine white room. Really, there was nothing too special about it, except for the Quidditch magazines where players could be seen zooming across the covers.

After finishing his business Harry stepped back out into the hallway. He made his way over to Sirius, who was standing the entryway talking to one of the portraits.

"Ah Harry, there you are. This" he said while pointing to the portrait "is your Grandfather, Charlus William Potter."

"Nice to meet you sir" Harry murmured.

"I see what you mean Sirius." replied the portrait "He really does look like James, although perhaps a bit scrawnier than James was at his age."

Harry, who felt a bit indignant at the comment, scowled. "I'm not that short. I mean, I'm not even the shortest in my year." Of course, he forgot to mention that he was the shortest boy in his year.

The portrait smiled widely at Harry's proclamation. "He's got his mother's temper I see." Giving a smirk to Sirius he couldn't help but add "Yep, you're going to have your hands full with this one. I can tell; I raised James after all."

Sirius couldn't help but let out a grimace at this. He knew how much trouble he and James got into. It seemed as though Mr. Potter was at Hogwarts every other week dealing with the antics of his son and best friends. He had to hold out for a little hope that it wouldn't be that bad with Harry. It couldn't be; he probably wouldn't survive the experience if Harry was.

Harry couldn't help but send Sirius a satisfied smirk. Oh yes, he would have fun this summer with his godfather.

Deciding it was time to move on he made a quick goodbye to Charlus, with the promise of returning later.

Putting his hand on Harry's shoulder he guided the two of them into the living room. Directing Harry to the couch Sirius quickly lit the fireplace and sat in the chair opposite godson.

His godson was awfully quiet. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. He couldn't help but wonder how he could let Dumbledore talk him into this. Harry wouldn't want to live here.

He should have found a different place. He would have, but no, Dumbledore had to go and suggest Godric's Hollow. Or rather he should say that Dumbledore suggested Godric's Hollow with a great amount authority…it hadn't even really been a choice.

During this time, Harry had been lost in his thoughts. Here he was in his family home, connected to more Potters than he could even name, and he couldn't quite articulate what he was feeling.

"Harry" Sirius interrupted, "what are you thinking?"

Harry gave a start at the sudden question. _What was he thinking_, he didn't even fully know. So much had happened in a short period of time. He wasn't quite sure where to start. "Um..Well, I thought that the house was destroyed that night."

Sirius gave a small smile at the quiet question. "It was, but Dumbeldore had Moony and I working on restoring it. It's taken a few months, but it's nearly back to the way it used to be."

Harry gave a quick nod "It makes it more real you know, being here." He gave a quick shake to his head, trying to slow the racing thoughts. "It makes Mum and Dad seem more real. "

Sirius watched his godson closely trying to determine how he was taking being here. He seemed to be alternating between being happy at being here, and slightly saddened.

"I used to dream of them when I was a kid. I dreamt that they would come and take me away from the Durselys. It helped me make it through, it always gave me hope; but being here, makes them feel like more than just a dream." He paused for a second and swallowed thickly "I'm glad we're here Sirius, I need this. They would have wanted it this way."

Sirius gave a smile and walked over to his godson. He grabbed the young man's arm and pulled him into a hug…a very manly embrace it was. "Everything will work out kiddo."

Giving a quick look at the nearby grandfather clock, he noticed that it was nearly four in the morning. "Come on kid, I'll show you to your room, and we can get a couple of hours of sleep."

Guiding Harry up the stairs he noticed his godson sneaking glances at the portraits and pictures as they walked by. Stopping outside Harry's room, he opened the door, and waited for his godson to crawl into bed.

The room was different from the nursery it had previously been. No longer were there clouds and stars painted on the walls. Instead, posters of quidditch teams and girls hanged on the walls. The ceiling had been repaired where it had caved in. Noticing his godson's breathing was evening out, he muttered a goodnight to the sleeping teen, and made his way to his room. Hopefully, he would manage a few hours of sleep.

AN: I wasn't really very happy with this chapter. I definitely struggled to get it done.

Please drop a review, it would be greatly appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: The story will start to pick up in the next chapter. I just needed to have this chapter to explain a few things.

Reviews would be greatly appreciated.

Chapter 4

The Early Seeker Catches the Snitch

It was a restless night for Sirius. He was nervous that his godson would change his mind and demand to go back to Privet Drive, not that it mattered, Privet Drive was now compromised, and as such was no longer safe.

Truth be told, Sirius was a little relieved about taking his godson away from the Dursleys. He knew that they weren't the best of guardians, and he had a feeling that was putting it mildly. His godson deserved better and he was determined to see that happen. He may not have been able to provide for him before, but he was going to now; hopefully, making up for some of the lost time.

It was nearing eight in the morning, and the sun had begun to rise in the distance. Gray eyes narrowed in thought as Sirius paced around his room. After ten minutes of pacing he decided to check on Harry. It was nearing eight in the morning, and he would have to wake up soon if they were going to get anything accomplished.

Gently knocking on Harry's door, he turned the knob and quietly crept into the room. The early morning rays of sunshine were penetrating the dark room. Looking over at the bed, Sirius couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Harry's right arm was carelessly draped over the edge of the bed and his pillow was finding rest on the floor. Harry himself was softly snoring and his sheets had somehow managed to twist around his left leg and up around his neck.

Giving a small smile he walked over to the bed and tried to poke his godson awake. "Harry" he gently said "come on kid, it's time to wake up." Harry sat upright in his bed for a minute before falling asleep and falling back onto the bed.

Shaking his head, Sirius gave a rueful smile. His godson was like James in a lot of ways, but what just happened was pure Lily. The whole of Gryffindor house knew that Lily was a heavy sleeper. You could often hear her roommates trying to get her up in the morning for classes.

Rolling his eyes a bit he decided to give it a second try. Shaking his godson's shoulder he called out his name "Harry, get up please." In return the only response he received was for Harry to give a snore and roll over on to his stomach.

'_Well'_ Sirius thought _'I guess it's time to go to plan B.'_ Heading to the kitchen Sirius had come up with a foolproof plan. Everyone knows that teenage boys think of only a couple of things, one of which is food. If anything was going to get his godson out of bed, it would be a nice meal.

You wouldn't know it by looking at him, but Sirius Black could actually cook. It's one of his many talents that he would show off to impress the ladies, before he was sent to Azkaban at least.

Tossing some bacon into a pan, he didn't have to wait long before the smell of breakfast started drifting through the house. While doing up a couple of eggs, he heard movement upstairs. _Ha! I knew my plan would work._

Shortly thereafter he heard the flush of the toilet and the sound of someone coming down the stairs.

"Sirius" he heard Harry call out "Where's the food?"

He couldn't help the smirk of satisfaction that crossed his face. "In here Harry. Kitchen's down the hall from the staircase."

Eventually Harry made his way into the kitchen and slowly padded across to the table and took a seat. He seemed to be observing the kitchen. Sirius wasn't able to replicate the old kitchen exactly, but he hoped this worked as well. It was still a country kitchen, no doubt about that, but it had new cabinets and floors.

"Ugh" Harry moaned "why does it have to be so early? It's not even nine yet." Harry was sure that Sirius did this just to torture him…it definitely seemed like a Sirius Black thing to do. "Food better be good" he grumbled. "Getting up this early, after such a late night, is cruel and unusual."

Sirius gave a laugh at his godson's dramatics. He remembered the days when he was a teenager. Unless there was a class, he was lucky if he greeted the day before noon.

"Sorry kid, but we have a lot to go over today. Last I recall, you had a lot of questions and I had some of the answers." He took the food off the stove and dished up onto two plates, before setting one of the plates in front of Harry. "Besides" he smirked "You know what they say? The early seeker catches the snitch."

He was greeted by a blank stare. "What are you talking about Sirius? Did you get into a babbling beverage? Because I don't think those are meant for this early in the morning. Perhaps you should just stick to tea."

Taking his seat, Sirius offered Harry a grin "Okay, perhaps you've heard its muggle equivalent 'the early bird catches the worm'."

"Oh" Harry replied "Why didn't you say that to begin with?"

Sirius gave a sigh and started in on his breakfast. Of course, he had to hold off a slight look of disgust at the gusto Harry was consuming his breakfast with. He sincerely hoped that he wasn't that bad when he was Harry's age.

* * *

><p>A half hour later, both Sirius and Harry were sitting in the den talking.<p>

"So" Sirius started "You had a lot of questions yesterday, what did you want to ask first?"

Harry narrowed his eyes in contemplation, there were so many questions going through his mind, it was difficult to pick a place to start.

"Um…well, how come you weren't worried about getting caught?"

Sirius gave a big smile at the question. Walking over to the desk, he opened the top drawer and pulled out a newspaper. Folding it in half, he walked over to his godson and deposited the paper into his lap.

Curious as to what was going on; Harry grabbed the paper and opened it to the front page. He couldn't hold back the small gasp that escaped his lips. There in black and white was the news that Sirius Black had been found innocent of all charges relating to the death of the Potters, thirteen muggles, and Peter Pettigrew?"

"How…how did this happen?" he stuttered.

"The rat was caught trying to enter the Weasley's property. All we've been told, at this point, is that he was going in with the hopes that you might have been there." Taking a sip from his tea, Sirius continued "They finally gave me a trial." He couldn't help the bitterness that had leaked through. "One dose of veritaserum later and I'm a free man."

Harry couldn't hold back and lunged at Sirius in a hug. "Does this mean…I, that is, will I be able to stay with you, you know, permanently?"

Sirius gave a nod of his dark head. His gray eyes lighting up in happiness "Yep. I'm now the sole guardian of one Harry James Potter."

They both took a moment to take in what had happened. Of course, should anyone find out about the hug, they would deny all knowledge. Gryffindor's were not cuddly, and they rarely gave out man hugs. Those were only pulled out in special situations.

Taking a seat on the couch once again Harry asked him the other question that was floating around. "Why did we have to leave so suddenly? I mean, I just…you mentioned the wards, and well, I just want to know what's going on."

Sirius gave a sigh and closed his eyes while pinching the bridge of his nose. "When Voldemort used your blood to resurrect himself, it negated the blood wards protecting you at the Dursleys." He was interrupted as Harry asked "what happened?"

"Well" Sirius stated "there were wards up preventing unauthorized magical people in the area. The fact that you found the wand meant that there was some other magical individual in the area. I had to assume the worst and get you out of there." At some point during his explanation he had gotten up from the couch and proceeded to pace in front of his silent godson. "The wards fell faster than we had anticipated. "

Harry's only reply was a soft "oh". He was looking off into the distance trying to gather his thoughts. He couldn't help the couple of tears that made their way down his face.

Sirius sat next to Harry on the couch and pulled the kid into a one armed embrace. "What's going on kiddo? What are you thinking?"

Harry gave a sigh. "It's just…well, the blood protection was from my mum. Knowing that I had that protection made me feel closer to her. It helped me to remember her, and NOW VOLDEMORT HAS TAKEN THAT TOO!"

Sirius was slightly stunned at his godson's reaction. Of course, he would sympathize with him, but he would never fully understand what he was feeling.

Getting off the couch he knelt in front of Harry and took his hands in his own. "Harry" he soothed "She'll always be a part of you. A part of her will live on in you, and that can't be taken away. She'll be remembered each and every day that you choose to live."

Giving a nod, Harry let a small smile grace his face. "Thanks Sirius."

"No problem kid." Looking out the back window he gestured to Harry to go on out. "You know, while there isn't a Quidditch pitch here, there is enough coverage that you could fly if you don't go to high."

Showing off a lopsided grin, Harry jumped up and ran upstairs to get his broom. Running back down the stairs, he jumped the last two and landed on the floor with a thud before running out the back door and jumping on his broom.

_Well_ Sirius thought _it wouldn't hurt to join him. You know, show him how it's really done._ Deciding to join his godson in the air he walked over to the closet and pulled out his broom. He couldn't help but frown at the old broom. He'd had it for years, at least back to his seventh year at Hogwarts. _Still_ he thought_ I bet I could teach him a thing or two. I was a great beater in my day._ With that in mind he set off outside to join his godson in the fresh morning air.


End file.
